(Canoga Park, CA)—The Boys & Girls Club of the West Valley has received an $8,500 grant from State Farm Insurance Company to establish a new Teen Driver Safety program. The program, which begins in the Fall 2011 school semester, will be hosted at the Club’s satellite site at Canoga Park High School for more than 400 teens.
Officers from the California Highway Patrol will help teach the class, including a mock driving exercise where teens will be taught to stay focused while driving and ignore common distractions such as cell phones, loud music and passengers. The officers use golf carts to teach the teens distraction-free, safe driving and sober graduation tips. One component of the program also focuses on providing parents information on how to be good driving role models and advocates for teen safety.
According to Gary Thomas, Chairman of the Board of the Boys & Girls Club of the West Valley, “We really appreciate State Farm for assisting us in creating this important program. What could be more important than saving the lives of our young people?”
The State Farm mission is to help people manage the risks of everyday life, recover from the unexpected, and realize their dreams. State Farm achieves its mission through the products and services offered, as well as through its involvement in and commitment to the community. “We make it our business to be like a good neighbor, helping to improve the quality of life in the communities where our associates live and work,” says Samona Caldwell, State Farm Public Affairs Specialist.
The Boys & Girls Club of the West Valley meets the local need for safe, healthy and productive activities for youths during non-school hours. The Club has more than 3,100 members. Approximately 150 youngsters visit the Main Clubhouse in Canoga Park each day in addition to more than 550 children engaged in after-school activities at the Club’s five sites: Blythe, Reseda, and Topeka Drive Elementary Schools; Canoga Park High School; and the affordable housing community of Tierra del Sol.
The Club is located at 7245 Remmet Ave., Canoga Park, CA, 91303. Tel: 818-610-1054. Web: www.wvbgc.org. Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/wvbgc.